Moffat Falls is dedicated to regenerating landscapes and communities, and further hopes to encourage and support others who are interested in learning regenerative principles. Regenerative agriculture has emerged as an umbrella term for any agricultural activity that restores and enhances holistic, resilient living systems. Whilst sustainable systems must maintain productivity, regenerative systems go a step further in restoring what has been lost and improving what is currently there. Carbon farming frames the approach to regeneration at Moffat Falls, through holistic management utilising grazing animals as a carbon sink. Moffat Falls’ Director, Lorraine Gordon, is also the Director of Farming Together and Strategic Projects at Southern Cross University, and the founder of Southern Cross University’s Regenerative Agriculture Alliance.
Success Story
- Time controlled grazing and holistic management.
- Correcting mineral deficiencies based on soil testing.
- Increase stock density by either increasing numbers and moves or reducing size of paddocks.
- Adding an additional mineral not used before such as gypsum.
- Composting.
- Multi species pastures cropping for winter months.
The Catalyst for Change
- Build resilience into family farming business.
- Increase in risks and threats from climate change.
- Value-adding opportunity to diversify farming practices.
The Opportunity
- Register the project without contracts: through the Federal Government. Contracts to sell ACCU’s (Australian Carbon Credit Units) can be organised later.
- Register and include an ERF (Emission Reduction Fund) contract: to get paid at the Government price for any increases.
- Include a secondary market contract (e.g. Corporate market): to increase the value of the carbon payment.
- Sell ACCU’s to specific buyers: with a full history of flora and fauna.
- Sell products which are “Carbon Plus” rather than just “Carbon Neutral”: higher price again.
- Have no contracts in place for now and sell on the ‘spot’ market when credits become available. This is a safe option in that if you don’t increase carbon for some reason you don’t have to deliver!
The Challenge/s
- Paddocks of bare soil/lack of ground cover
- Monocrops/lack of biodiversity
- Spraying out paddocks prior to sowing new pastures or crops
- Set stocking
- Reliance on synthetic chemicals, fertilisers and pesticides
- Over tillage/disturbance of soil
Future Looking
- Research is continuing into the types of practices and methods that build carbon.
- Carbon farming adopts regenerative agricultural practices. This will increase your triple bottom line in a changing climate.
- Watch the market. There are both government and corporate markets domestically and overseas. Carbon prices are increasing so keep informed!